💟 Valentine's Day Story: Accidental Interstellar Bride - 2/7💟

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“You can’t appear in the capital dressed like that.”

“But I am a peasant who was abducted by traffickers. It goes with our elaborate lie.”

“We have been traveling for over a week and will arrive at the capital in another month. In that period of time, are you saying that a duke would not be able to buy new clothes for his consort?”

Liyanne pursed her lips. In her brief time knowing this man, she found him to be rational and practical, but sometimes annoyingly playful. It was not exactly what she thought of when she imagined a battle-hardened duke returning home from war, but at least he was easier to talk to than initially expected.

Duke Zhang wasn’t a stickler for formalities, at least when it was just the two of them in the carriage. It would be more difficult when they were in the capital and around his peers. Otherwise, he told her she could act as she wanted in the privacy of her courtyard.

He and Steward Peng warned her that she would need to take etiquette lessons when they arrived, but most people would not expect much from her considering her background. If she didn’t wander off whenever they stopped, she was sure Steward Peng would try to get an early start on those lessons.

“Oh? No protests this time?” The corner of the Duke’s lip curled up as he looked at her. The farmland around them surrounded a rural town. It was small, but there were shops and Steward Peng told them that it would be a good place to find ‘suitable clothing’ for her.

Liyanne knew what he meant, but contrary to what the Duke likely believed, she didn’t like getting dirty. If she wore better quality, new clothes, she’d be more hesitant to go off road to collect plants. It was the reason her everyday clothes were worn ragged while her silk robe appeared untouched.

“I have protests, but I’m still trying to put them into words,” she said, as smoothly as she could. She caught the slight smirk on his face and looked away. She was right when she first assessed that he would be considered attractive. When they stopped at small inns or stalls to eat, plenty of people would do a double take upon the sight of him.

She’d even seen a few openly gawk at the man. Liyanne was from a different time and place completely, and still found him attractive. When he smirked, he had a slight dimple on his left cheek, and it was frustratingly endearing.

“Then tell me when you’re ready,” he told her benevolently. “I’ll wait.”

She shot him a glare, but was only met by that insufferable dimple. “Would it be possible to buy two pairs of clothes?”

He looked taken aback before a look of pity crossed his face. “Of course. You are my consort. Steward Peng had suggested several sets. If you wish, you can buy an entire store.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Liyanne said with a heavy sigh. “I just want something simple to wear when I’m collecting medicinal plants while we’re traveling. Something I can get dirty without regretting it.”

“Is that all?”

“I’m not a very demanding person, Duke Zhang. Simple clothes. A couple of worms.”

He chuckled and nodded. “We’ll get you a few outfits for travel.” He paused and gave her a stern look. “But when we reach the capital-”

“I will dress appropriately for when we arrive,” Liyanne told him with an understanding nod. “I will play my part well, Your Grace.”

The carriage came to a stop and Liyanne scooted to the window. She peered through the slots of the wood slat curtains and squinted. She could see a few wood-faced and stone piled buildings with open storefronts displaying local goods for sale.

“Your Grace, Miss Li Yan, we have stopped in front of the town’s only silk store,” Steward Peng said from outside the carriage.

Duke Zhang stood up and kept his head lowered as he walked towards the front of the carriage and swept aside the heavy curtain. “Send someone to go to another fabric shop and buy two sets of cotton clothes for Miss Li Yan.”

“Cotton clothes?” As Liyanne came out after Duke Zhang, she caught the horrified look from the older man.

“Steward Peng, they are only for travel and so I can continue to gather medicinal plants. I will wear the clothing purchased here when we reach the capital,” she told him. She knew it couldn’t have been easy for him to have his Duke bring a strange peasant woman home. Regardless, he had been very accommodating to her and she appreciated that.

Steward Peng looked relieved at her words. “Then, I will send someone immediately. We sent an order ahead to this shop and most of Miss Li Yan’s clothes are ready.”

The Duke gave him a nod and stepped towards the open doors of what appeared to be the largest shop on the street. Liyanne lifted her head and looked at the two-story building with the thick, red columns. It had a curved tile roof; one of the few on the street.

“They must be doing well....” she said quietly as she followed the Duke into the building.

A man with a graying beard came to meet them and Steward Peng swept in to explain. The man’s face lit up and he nodded enthusiastically.

“We have one more dress that will be ready by tomorrow morning. Will that be all right, Your Grace?” The man turned to the Duke with eager eyes.

Liyanne stepped to the side to examine the thread samples and some samples of dye colors. She didn’t need to dye her robe. Whatever color the silk came out as she would take. What mattered was that it had enough lunar energy to get her home. She raised a hand to touch the silk threads and the empty cocoon to which it was connected.

“Miss-Madam.” Steward Peng corrected himself as he called to her, and she looked over her shoulder and saw him smiling at her. “Mr. Chin will bring you to the back to try on the robes we ordered. His wife and daughter will assist you.”

Liyanne gave him a small nod and turned to Mr. Chin with a pleasant smile as he stepped back and motioned for her to step forward.

“Yanyan, I will wait for you out here,” the Duke’s melodious voice filled the storefront as she snapped her head back to look at him.

She mouthed ‘Yanyan’ as she held back a glare. She didn’t mind nicknames, but when he gave her one, he sounded as if he were mocking her. She hoped he could read the irritation in her eyes as she was ushered to the back of the store. The Duke returned a cheeky smile and took a seat on a cushioned, wooden chair to the side, appearing ready to wait.

Wait until I come up with a nickname for you. See if you like it...Weiwei? No...Zhangzhang? Shenshen...that was the name of Madam Wu’s neighbor’s dog....

“Madam Zhang, please step inside here,” Mr. Chin said before calling for his wife and daughter. He brushed aside a curtain and Liyanne found herself in a small room with a changing screen and a cushioned, lacquered bench. Several piles of silk clothes were folded neatly and placed on the cushion.

Liyanne had spent most of her five years in this field location wearing cotton peasant clothing that was suitable for farming. It was the most practical thing she could wear for collecting plant samples. Thanks to her naturally high tolerance to cold and heat, it didn’t matter if her clothes were thin or not.

She walked further into the room and the curtain behind her was pushed aside. She turned around and a thin girl, no older than thirteen, entered with a rosy cheeked woman.

“Madam Zhang! Please come this way,” the woman said as she maneuvered Liyanne around the screen. “Meng, get the first robe! Madam Zhang, please undress.”

Liyanne nodded and began to undo her clothing. “May I ask how many there are?”

“Master Peng has requested a half dozen day-to-day pieces, a cloak, and undergarments.”

Oh, undergarments. That was thoughtful. She’d been washing the same two pairs. Liyanne thought she’d only need to try on one piece and the rest would have the same measurements and could be packed up. Instead, they made her try on every single one.

“Do you want to show this one to the Duke?” Madam Chin asked with the same hopeful eyes as when she asked the first time.

Liyanne looked down at the white and pale blue robes with the red detailing. It was very lovely, but she would have it packed up with the others as she didn’t need to wear it now.

“Mama, this is the last one,” Meng said. “Madam Zhang, will be wearing it out, yes?”

The girl looked very eager and Liyanne drew her lips in and bit them. “I was thinking of having it all-”

“Madam Zhang, His Grace requests to see your robes!” Mr. Chin called from outside the changing room.

“On her.” A firm, masculine voice added. Liyanne rolled her eyes. She gave Meng and Madam Chin a smile.

“It seems that I will be wearing this one out.”

Meng looked excited. “I will pack the rest for you, Madam Zhang!”

Liyanne gave her a tight-lipped smile as she stepped from around the changing screen. She reached for her discarded, worn clothing, but Meng quickly snatched them up.

“I will pack these, too!” the girl insisted as she smiled brightly. Liyanne couldn’t stop her and merely nodded.

Madam Chin swept aside the curtain for her as she walked out, adjusting the pale sleeves of the jacket. The opening of the sleeves were very wide and Liyanne knew if she tried to pick anything up, they’d brush against the ground.

“Well, it looks like everything fits...perfectly.” She lifted her head and saw the Duke stand from his chair and his eyes dilate as they swept over her. He swallowed and she watched his Adam's apple rise and fall.

“What do you think, Your Grace?” Mr. Chin asked as he put his hands together and looked at them hopefully.

Duke Zhang looked at him and gave him a kind smile. “Your work is excellent, Mr. Chin. I am relieved we found your establishment from which to buy these robes.”

Mr. Chin seemed to let out the breath he was holding as he gave the Duke a grateful bow. Liyanne gave the merchant a smile of her own.

“It’s beautiful and the fit is excellent. The colors you selected go well with me. Thank you, Mr. Chin.” She slipped into her role and kept her movements smooth and small. Her gentle nod in Mr. Chin’s direction made the merchant’s face redden as he stuttered that he was happy she liked it.

“Steward Peng, please pay and collect her things,” Duke Zhang said. He turned to Liyanne and offered his hand to her. “Yanyan.”

The corner of her eye twitched. She forced a smile on her face as she placed her hand in his and moved closer, until their arms were against each other. “Your Grace.” He seemed to smirk as he led her out of the shop. As soon as they were a few steps away, she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Yanyan?”

“Yanyan,” he repeated as he lifted his hand and patted hers. “Shenwei.” He brought his hand back to his chest. “Unless you’d like me to call you darling?”

She cringed and drew her head back. “Yanyan does sound very cute.”

“Hmm...fitting.” Duke Zhang chuckled to himself and looked ahead of them. The guards were standing by the carriage, awaiting orders and he gave them a firm nod. “My consort and I will walk up the street to the inn. When Steward Peng returns, have him bring our things to the inn. We’ll come to the inn after we are done with our walk.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Shall we accompany you, Your Grace?”

“Several paces behind,” Duke Zhang said before leading Liyanne to the right.

“Is the inn far from here?” she asked as they began to walk.

“It’s at the end of the street. You can see it up ahead. I simply thought you’d like to walk and look at the shops,” he said.

Liyanne let out a little hum. “A walk would be nice after sitting in a carriage the entire day.”

“Yes, you didn’t get a chance to really wander and uproot plants today.”

“We were going through farmland the entire time. What do you want me to uproot? Rice?” she asked as she walked on his right side, her arm still against his. She looked at the open storefronts as they passed.

There were several that sold housewares and metal pieces for farm and kitchen tools. Twice, she stopped to examine some bamboo baskets.

As she bent over to get a closer look, a voice spoke behind her. “You want a basket?”

She stiffened and nearly stood up straight. She looked over her shoulder at the Duke and frowned. “Baskets are useful.”

“So are shoes,” he said. He turned his head to the store across the street where leather shoes with padded bottoms were being sold.

Liyanne looked down at her feet and quietly tugged the smooth silk of her skirt up to peek at her feet. Her dust covered feet were in woven straw sandals and she took a deep breath.

“I need shoes, don’t I?”

“Yes, for our elaborate lie.”

“Understood.” He patted her hand, as if to approve of her acknowledgement and then crossed the street with her.

Liyanne could see the shoe merchant rising from his stool when he saw them crossing the street to get to him. He tugged on his vest to try to straighten it before adjusting his cloth hat.

“Good afternoon,” the Duke said with a small nod before glancing around the small shop front.

“Good afternoon, my lord! How can I help you? Does his lordship require boots? Or some embroidered silk shoes for the Madam?” the merchant asked, hopeful.

The Duke seemed to have finished his sweep of the shelves and various pieces hanging from the rack. “My consort requires two pairs; one embroidered and one plain, cotton pair.”

Liyanne looked up at him and raised a brow. His eyes met hers and he raised his brows in return. Her lips pulled into a smile, and she raised her other hand and stroked his forearm holding hers with satisfaction. He thought to buy shoes she could wear to collect plants. “Very good, Your Grace.”

“I will bring them at once. Madam, if you will have a seat,” the merchant brushed off the stool he was sitting on and motioned for her to sit. Liyanne walked over and sat down. Across from her, the Duke picked up and examined a pair of leather boots. “Madam, please have a look at these. I brought the ones that seem to be your approximate size.”

The merchant presented her with a few sets of slip-on shoes and Liyanne picked them up one by one, looking at the size and shape, as well as the embroidery on the fancier shoes.

“May I try them on?” she asked as she looked at the merchant. He nodded enthusiastically until she lifted up the hem of her skirt to reveal her dirt and dust caked feet in straw sandals. His face fell at once.

“Bring a wet cloth,” the Duke said above them.

Oh, to wash my feet. Liyanne nodded. “Good idea.” He gave her a nod and put the boot in his hands down before walking towards her.

“Madam.” The merchant didn’t take long at all and had returned with a wet bundle of coarse rags. He presented it to Liyanne, but before she could take it, the Duke plucked it from the merchant’s hands. The shoe merchant’s eyes widened, and his face seemed to lose color as the Duke unraveled the faded, but stained rag.

His dark eyes flickered to the merchant as he shook it out and then folded it. When it was folded over thrice, he looked at Liyanne. “Lift your skirt a bit.”

She raised a brow, but did as she was told. He knelt down in front of her and she realized what he was planning to do. “Your Grace-”

“Yanyan.” He cut her off and looked up as he lowered his hands. He grasped the heel of one of her feet and pulled off the sandal. Her face heated up, but his grip was tight, and she couldn’t pull away without kicking him and causing a scene. “This may be cold.”

“You don’t need-” Liyanne let out a hiss as the cold rag touched the bottom of her feet. Did the shoe salesman dunk it in ice water? Why is it so cold?

The Duke silently wiped one foot and the merchant peered down. He looked surprised. “Oh, the Madam’s feet are so pale!” He let out a laugh and both Liyanne and the Duke looked towards him and frowned. He let out a cough and stepped back. “Let me get a dry rag, as well.” He scampered farther back.

“Your Grace, what are you doing?” Liyanne leaned forward and whispered. “You’re a Duke. Why are you wiping my feet? Isn’t there some rule against this?”

“I’ve been out on the border for so long, I forget,” he said. “If you wiped it, the sleeves of your new robes would get dusty.”

Liyanne looked down at her sleeves and frowned. The styles for the well-to-do in this field location certainly weren’t very practical. No wonder they had so many servants. She frowned. One of the valets who was following them would have wiped her feet, but then again, Madam Wu had told her that unrelated men should remain at a distance.

She said this was especially true for the wealthy. However, Liyanne didn’t think Madam Wu expected that her only other option was Duke Zhang, who was also posing as her husband.

She watched the Duke hand the used rags back to the merchant and then held out his hand in front of her. Liyanne tilted her head and quietly brought her hand up to touch his.

“The shoe.” His deadpan expression made her redden.

“I was getting it....” She placed a simple woven cotton slip-on in his palm, and he slid it on her foot with a firm tug. She wiggled her toes and shook her head. “A bit tight.”

“Get her one a little larger,” the Duke said at once. He pulled off the shoe and narrowed his eyes. “Where was it tight?”

“The toes were squished together.”

“Madam, these are a bit wider and longer.” The shoe merchant gave her another pair of the same kind of shoes, and she handed it to the Duke to put on her feet. The shoe merchant looked hopeful. “How are they?”

Liyanne nodded. “These are good. I’ll take these.”

“And an embroidered blue pair of this size,” the Duke said. He lifted his head and met Liyanne’s eyes with a knowing look. “You will try those on, as well, to make sure.”

“I know,” she sighed. She looked towards the merchant, who seemed to smile at the Duke’s attention to his wife, and she curled her lip into a smile. Liyanne leaned forward once more and gave her ‘husband’ a smug look. “My husband is so attentive to me.”

He raised a brow and tilted his head to the side. “How can I not be?” He gave her a smirk of his own and dared to lean forward, brushing his head against hers. “My Yanyan is so cute.”

She snapped her head back and almost glared at him. Didn’t Madam Wu tell her that nobles had such an intense sense of propriety that such overt flirting was almost non-existent? Or did this only apply to women? Now that she thought about it, Madam Wu always did seem exasperated by her lack of propriety.

The information Liyanne had on this field location did not have much on the general culture, so she could only observe what she could. And all her observations were based on the peasant class she lived and moved amongst. Their actions, values, food, and even speech differed from the circle the Duke lived in and even then, she fumbled along, barely passing.

If she didn’t stay with the Wus, and spend most of her time looking for medicinal plants, she was sure her otherness would’ve made her look like a lunatic.

Liyanne shook her head. She should start etiquette lessons with Steward Peng sooner rather than later after all. At any rate, the Duke’s counterattack was formidable.

He chuckled seeing her irritated, which irritated her moreso.

“Just put the shoe on,” she said in a low voice as she handed him the embroidered shoe. He had a benevolent look on his face once more as he replaced one shoe with the other.

“Comfortable?”

“It’s fine.”

“Good.” He looked at the merchant. “She will wear these.” He lifted his hand and the red-faced valet who had followed them rushed in to pay and take the cotton pair. “Come, Yanyan.” He helped her up and she took a moment to feel out her shoes with a few steps and then nodded in satisfaction before taking the Duke’s arm once more.

She gasped and turned around. “Oh, my sandals-”

“You don’t need your sandals,” he said as he grasped her elbow and gently brought her back.

She looked at him with protest. “But they’re still usable.” He looked down at her with another dull expression. Liyanne rolled her eyes and conceded. There was nowhere to wear them if she was posing as a duke’s wife anyway. She puffed her cheeks. “Fine.”

“Thank you, Yanyan.”

“Are you going to keep calling me that in public?”

“I can call you that in private, as well.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Your Grace, are you absolutely sure you’re a duke?”

He smiled a bit and looked ahead of them. A distant look was in his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. Does it not fit me?” He looked down at her as their walking pace slowed.

“You certainly give orders like one. I've been wondering for a while now if I should be more formal with you.” It was an honest question.

The night they came to an agreement, the way they spoke to each other devolved into casualness almost immediately. She wasn’t sure if he was matching her speech or if he simply felt comfortable enough to speak to her that way. She was a Pleiadesian at heart; formal speech and addressing social superiors in such a manner did not come naturally to her.

“It doesn’t seem in your nature to,” he said. “When we are in front of others, I’d recommend you speak more formally.”

“If I can’t?”

“Stay silent.”

She nodded. “I may do that, actually.”

“If we are alone or in the presence of Steward Peng and my other trusted subordinates, you may speak as you do now.”

She smiled a bit and looked up the street. “You know that as I speak now it can be taken as quite rude.”

“I was in the army for several years; I can take it. I’m not a sheltered young master who has never seen the world.”

She almost wanted to laugh. What he had seen was nothing compared to what she had seen in more years in field locations than years he’d been alive.

“Then, if you are fine with how I speak to you, I will continue to do so.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” He seemed to hold back a smile. “Yanyan.”

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He tried to keep her distracted by pointing out things in various shops that they passed. Thankfully, Li Yan was blissfully naive as they walked through the shopping street and didn’t notice their guards move closer or the men eyeing them as they walked.

Shenwei knew the feeling of being watched instantly. He’d grown up wealthy and privileged. Having people stare at him and whatever entourage he was with when he was younger was so common that he’d long learned to sense when they were watching him out of curiosity, envy, or with predatory intent.

His time on the border honed his senses further and those men watching them had predatory intent. Shenwei wasn’t sure if they wanted whatever money he had or something else.

His dark eyes settled on the busty figure in front of him, holding back her sleeves so she could look at the items spread out on a bottom tier of a shelf.

In her worn, patched, and tattered clothes, and her straw sandals, Li Yan looked like a pretty rural woman at best. Surprisingly paler than one would expect from a woman who was outdoors collecting plants, but she still very much appeared as a peasant farmer.

In silk robes, even with her hair in a simple bun, her noble features, large eyes, and shapely body stood out. She also carried herself with a confusing mixture of the posture of a soldier: back straight, shoulders down, and chin up; and a natural uninhibitedness. He’d noticed that when she marched up to him that morning and blamed him for ripping her robe and breaking her token.

He was a Duke. He knew that she knew that, as everyone had addressed him as such. Yet, her fierce little face was unrestrained as she gave him a withering look and made him feel as if she were going to fight at any moment. It was a bit exciting to think about, but he wouldn’t admit it.

If such a woman could get his attention, she could easily get the attention of others.

“Yanyan, it’s getting dark soon. We should go to the inn. I will have a bath prepared for you.” He looked towards her, and she put down the small shears she was looking at.

“I can use a warm bath. What will we do about dinner?” she asked as she stood up and walked back to him. “Will the inn provide it?”

“It will. Steward Peng will have arranged for our meals. They will bring it to your room.” He gently moved her in front of him as he raised a hand once more. The valet following them nodded. The valet would wait until they were further away to buy the item that Li Yan had been interested in.

So far, they had two different sized bamboo baskets, a small wooden trowel, a satchel, and now the shears. He was quick to notice that, while she looked at many things on display, it was only when she touched something and spent some time examining it that she seemed to want it.

Yet, Li Yan never voiced it. She would return it to its place and continue walking.

The inn at the end of the street was modest by his standards: stone and wood with tile shingles. Like the silk shop, it was two stories tall and longer than it was deep. A stone wall surrounded it and outside the gate, Steward Peng was waiting for them.

Shenwei looked towards Li Yan and noticed her admiring the exterior of the inn. He leaned closer to Steward Peng.

“We have some followers. Switch my and Yanyan’s room. Tell only the guards,” he said in a low voice.

Steward Peng gave him a small, curt nod and stepped back. He put on a smile as he motioned for them to enter. “Your Grace, they’ve prepared the corner room facing the inner courtyard for you. The consort’s room with her things has been prepared opposite yours.”

“Thank you, Steward Peng.” Shenwei looked towards Li Yan. “Yanyan! Let’s go. Our rooms are ready.”

He extended his hand, putting on the appearance of a loving husband. He could see the unimpressed glint in her eyes, but she still reached for him and smiled.

With guards following them, they walked up the stairs to the side of the lobby to get to the upper floor.

“Our rooms are at the far end? That’s nice. It’ll be quiet,” Li Yan said, satisfied. She seemed to go straight for the room Steward Peng had mentioned was hers.

“Ah, there was a mistake earlier,” Shenwei said as he stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders to gently turn her around. “This is my room. Yours is the one across.”

“Are my things inside already?”

“They will bring it to you. They left them in the carriage.”

“All right.” She didn’t question him, and a valet opened the door for her. Shenwei followed her inside to look at the room. From the look of the furnishings and the size, as well as the lovely view of the back courtyard, it was the best room at the inn.

He didn’t need such a thing. The last few years had been spent sleeping on the ground or in a tent. After he did a casual sweep of the room, the valets brought in her things, which had originally been sent to his room.

“Dinner will be brought to you first,” he told her. Li Yan nodded and stretched her arms over her head before sending him out.

With the sun setting, Shenwei had all the lanterns in his room lit. He did a sweep of his room and then slid the window part way open to look down at the dirt yard in front of the inn below. Their carriage and wagon were parked beneath a crude overhang with two guards standing by.

“Your Grace, your dinner has been delivered by the inn.” One of his guards knocked on his door and he turned around as he shrugged off the cobalt vest over his robes. He tossed it to the side of the bed and walked back to open the door. “The Madam’s dinner is also here, Your Grace.”

He looked down at the large tray that had been given to the guard. A teapot, a simple soup, a pork dish, and two bowls of steaming rice. Shenwei gave the guard a curt nod and stepped to the side to let the guard in.

“Put it on the table,” he said. He walked across the hall and knocked on Li Yan’s door. “Yanyan, they brought dinner to my room. Do you wish to join me?”

The door opened and she appeared. Her hair was down, and she had changed into some cotton clothes that were a bit too large for her. “They didn’t split it up?”

“They likely assumed you’d eat with me,” he said. He looked down at her thick, dark hair that framed her face gently. “Shall I have the guard separate it?”

“It’s too much trouble. I can join you if you don’t mind,” she said with a slight yawn.

“I don’t.” He tilted his head to the side. “Were you sleeping?”

She shook her head as she squeezed out of her door, forcing him to step back to allow her out. “No, but I am sleepy.”

“You didn’t take a nap this afternoon,” he said. After their midday stop, she’d usually take a nap. It was one of the few moments when they weren’t talking. He’d had a pillow and blanket brought into the carriage so she could be more comfortable. A few times, watching her sleep made him sleepy, as well. Now there were two sets of blankets and pillows in the carriage.

“I’m not a child.” Li Yan gave him a dull glare. “We just walked more than normal today.”

“I thought you’d have more stamina as someone who climbs mountains at night.” He smirked as he caught her giving him a side glare.

“The rocking of the carriage is also relaxing.” She lifted her chin and gave him a defiant look. He chuckled and led her into his room. When they were both inside, the guard closed the door behind them.

“Well, no matter what, it should be better than what we’ve been having so far,” Shenwei said, motioning for her to take a seat on one of the red cushioned, heavy lacquered chairs around a square table. He took a seat across from it.

Usually, they stayed as guests in the homes of villagers and farmers on their way to the capital and while he compensated them for a place to sleep and food, they didn’t have much and he wouldn't let his men take more than a small share.

Their main meals were dried meat and whatever the forest provided when they stopped. Steward Peng always made sure Shenwei had some grains, as well, but it was nothing like the food he was used to growing up. Li Yan ate very little and almost always the least popular food they had. She never complained and even joined the guards when they went to forage.

She was quite good at it, often bringing back various edible plants and mushrooms, making her popular with the guards.

“I’m used to eating what the mountains and forest provide,” she told him as she took a seat across from him. “And I don’t eat much.”

“At least keep me company while I eat,” Shenwei said with a slight smile. He didn’t want to let her go back to her room until all the guards were finished eating and ready for their evening rotation.

“I don’t mind a bit of tea. May I pour you some?” She looked towards him; her hand already poised to move his small, white cup. He gave her a nod and she moved it closer to her and then lifted the tea pot.

He waited until she finished, and poured herself a cup as well, to pick his cup up. He raised it to her, and she chuckled and raised her cup to his. He brought it to his lips and suddenly felt her hand on his arm, stopping him.

“Yanyan?”

Her eyes were fixed on the tea in her cup and her lips were pulled down. There was an unexpected look of concentration on her face. “Wait.” She brought the tea to her mouth and seemed to take in a mouthful. It was still steaming, but she didn’t spit it out or swallow. She seemed to move around the liquid in her mouth.

He drew his head back and tried to suppress the disgust on his face. He knew she was a commoner, but she must’ve had better manners than this. She removed her hand from his and leaned forward, spitting the tea back into the cup and grabbing her sleeve to wipe at her mouth.

“Don’t drink!”

Shenwei looked at his own cup. Was the tea that bad?

“Traces of dried black moss with the ground pit of the bitter lotus fruit,” Li Yan said as she reached forward and grabbed his cup. “Don’t drink it! It’ll temporarily paralyze your body!”

Shenwei looked at the teapot and shot up from his seat. He almost ran to the door before pulling it open and looking at the two guards standing outside his door.

“Find the others and don’t let them drink or eat anything!”

“Yes, Your Grace!” The two guards nodded and ran down the hall. Shenwei shut the door and brought down the latch to lock it.

“Yanyan-” He turned around and took in a sharp breath as he saw her standing over the table, opening and closing her mouth. His eyes widened as his heart quicken with fear. “Yanyan?”

“My tongue is a bit tingly...but fine.”

He strode back across the room and grabbed her shoulders, making her look towards him. “Did you drink any?”

“No, I spit it out, but it still made contact with my mouth,” she said, frowning. She looked at the tea pot, as if unable to believe it had been poisoned. “It’s potent. If anyone else drinks this, they need to flush their system and take an antidote immediately.”

A shudder swept through his body. “We may have been targeted.”

“What?” Li Yan snapped her head up.

“When we were walking in the street, I sensed people watching us.”

“What about Steward Peng and the guards?” Li Yan began to fidget. “Where are they?”

“Some of the guards and the valets should be eating dinner before their evening rotation,” Shenwei said. He scowled and looked towards the door. “Yanyan, you stay here. I’m going to check on them.”

“I should go as well. I need to check their symptoms, if any,” she said, following behind him. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips in a tight line. “I should be able to make an antidote with the plants I’ve collected so far.”

Shenwei began to unlock the door. “I didn’t think you’d use them so soon.”

“I always hope never to have to use them for this purpose at all.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. Even in a trying situation, she had a smart answer. He put his hand on the door handle and turned around. His eyes widened and he shot forward. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. He circled around her and met her wide eyes, and the reflection of a man coming towards them.

Her pink lips opened to yell, and something seemed to brush against his back. He turned around and lifted his leg to kick, forcing the assailant who’d slipped in through the window to jump back.

“Yanyan, call for the guards!”

He held up his arms and shifted into a ready stance as the man across from him adjusted his position and brought a knife up. The lower portion of his face was covered, and his clothing was simple, but not as worn or had traces of soil and sweat, as a farmer’s would be. It was possible that he was a professional thief, but it was surprising to find one in such a backwater village.

The assailant eyed Shenwei, waiting for him to move. Shenwei didn’t attack. Li Yan was still behind him, and he didn’t want to make any sudden movements that could cause his opponent to redirect his attention to her.

He could hear Li Yan rushing to open the door behind him.

“Hey!” A thud was heard behind him and looked over his shoulder. His heart shot to his throat.

“Yanyan!”

She was on the floor, teeth clenched and glaring towards the door as another man rushed towards Shenwei. Shenwei’s eyes flickered towards the second assailant, and he easily stepped to the side to avoid a punch. The extension was weak, and the second man took an awkward step forward.

Shenwei lifted his arm and took a step forward, only to have it grabbed and pulled back. He twisted his arm and grabbed the first man, lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the ground before stepping back to realign himself and draw the second man further away from Li Yan. The knife clattered on the floor and slid to the side.

“What do you want? Money? My life?” Neither man answered him.

“I thought you said she would be alone in her room!” the second man said as he held up his arms and waited for the first man to stand.

“The light in his room was on; I didn’t think he’d come see her!”

Shenwei inhaled a sharp breath. They were there from Li Yan. He forced himself not to look towards her and instead turned his attention to the second man. He had to get between them and Li Yan.

He took a step forward and kicked out, forcing the second man to move out of the way. The first man jumped forward and Shenwei felt his breath shoved out of him as he was tackled backwards, onto the bed.

“Just grab him! Hold him down!” the first man growled as he dodged Shenwei’s arm. “Hurry!”

Shenwei was shoved back on the bed, and he let out a hiss. A sharp pain flew up his back as he was held down. Was he injured?

“Where are the others?” The first man pinned Shenwei’s left side down.

“They’re dealing with the guards!” The second man lifted a knife and Shenwei twisted his arm out from underneath him and grabbed his wrist.

He gritted his teeth as the man pushed down, putting his weight on the knife to get it closer. Shenwei could feel someone’s knee digging into him. His chest was tight, and he couldn’t get any leverage.

“Your Grace!” His heart nearly sank as he heard Li Yan’s voice.

“Get out of here!” Shenwei’s yell came out more a wheeze as the weight of the two men holding him down pressed against his chest. His eyes were fixed on the blade held above his face. All he needed was to move a bit further to the left. If they stabbed him in the shoulder, they’d hit flesh and bone, but nothing critical...he hoped.

He’d be lucky if the men’s attention stayed on him and not on Li Yan.

“Get off of him!” He heard her voice scream before a grunt sounded and the weight of a man on his left side suddenly lightened.

Shenwei looked down just in time to see the man slump to the side, hit the edge of the bed, and roll off before something swung down, and slammed into the face of the second man holding a knife to his head.

His eyes widened as the second man stumbled back, swayed, and collapsed. His jaw was slack and hanging lower than it should’ve.

“Your Grace!” He looked up once more and saw Li Yan carelessly toss aside the heavy, lacquered chair with a broken back rest. “Are you all right?”

Shenwei watched the chair hit the floor and break off one of the arms before turning back to her, stunned. That chair was solid hardwood and she had swung it with one hand, as easily has waving a fan.

“What...what did you-”

“Show me where they stabbed you!” She shoved aside the unconscious body of the first man and knelt on the bed. Her hands reached down, pressing against the sheets, and when she lifted them up, they were tinted red. Her eyes were wide and wild. “Did they stab you in the back?”

He didn’t know. Everything happened so quickly, he only knew he moved his body to shield her and felt something against his back. He pushed himself into a seated position and felt a sharp pain across his left shoulder.

“You’re bleeding!” She cried out and he turned his head to the bed. A large, dark stain had spread across the sheets.

Shenwei lifted his opposite hand and reached over his shoulder. The familiar feeling of warm liquid coated his fingers and his eyes narrowed. “I think they cut me.”

“Duke Zhang!” Heavy footsteps were heard coming from the hall. Shenwei lifted his head and looked to the door just as Steward Peng grabbed hold of the frame to stop himself. “Your Grace!”

Steward Peng looked flushed, and his clothes were disheveled. Shenwei narrowed his eyes. Were they attacked, as well?

“Where are the valets?” Li Yan said as she stood up. “Tell them to get me hot water, clean rags, and the box where we keep my medicinal plants!”

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Liyanne had been to over a dozen field locations in her time at the research facility. She had been to war torn kingdoms, thick jungles, plains, deserts, and once took part in diving expeditions. She’d been in dangerous areas, but such a fight has never happened directly in front of her. She’d never had to join one, either.

She didn’t think she’d see her would-be husband stabbed in front of her in this location. It took her a bit longer than she would’ve liked to get her shaking under control.

“You should have left when I told you to,” the Duke said as he laid face down on the bed of what was supposed to be her room. She and Steward Peng had torn off his top to get a good look at the wound, but there had been so much blood, it was difficult to see it clearly in the lantern light.

“You would’ve been stabbed a second time if I did,” she said, in a faint voice. She carefully sliced through the wide leaves of a moonsnake plant. Between the green flesh was a thin vein of milky white and she scraped it into a wooden bowl along with the extract from a half dozen other leaves.

She pushed the emptied leaf to the side and reached into the box at her feet. She picked up a bundle wrapped in cloth and placed it on the table before unwrapping it. The leftover wax of a honeycomb she’d found in the forest would be more than enough to use. She also was able to get some oil from a valet and had it heating over a tea light.

“I wouldn’t have allowed them to get at anything critical,” the Duke said. His back had been cleaned and wrapped in bandages, but they’d need to be replaced soon and Liyanne hurriedly tried to finish making a crude salve. His shoulder wound was a relatively deep cut the length of her hand and it had stained the bedding in the other room.

Liyanne and Steward Peng had rushed to clean the wound and bandage him before she went to work making an antidote for the guards who had been poisoned. Some of their nerves were paralyzed, leaving them laying over the table where they had been eating, or on the floor.

The two guards who had been at their door were too late to stop them, but Steward Peng hadn’t joined them yet. He had been doing the mundane task of recording that day’s spending in his room when he heard the noise in the dining hall. He raced upstairs only to be stopped by another man with a sword.

Steward Peng did not spend his youth in the army for nothing. As soon as he managed to disable that third man, he ran to their room and that’s when he found them. He relayed all her orders and got her whatever she asked for, without question. He’d watched as she cut up and ground various plants and then told him to mix it with six teacups of hot water and make each guard drink a cup.

It would make them sweat and urinate, but they would be able to regain movement not long after drinking.

She then moved on to the salve for the Duke’s wound.

“Steward Peng, I need a small, clean container. An empty teacup we can have, a small wooden box that won’t leak. It needs a lid to keep the dust and debris out of the salve,” she said as she eyed the amount of beeswax she added to the oil and stirred it with a chopstick until it melted.

“Yes, Miss, I will get one at once.” He bowed to her and rushed out.

“Put it in a bowl of cool water,” Liyanne told him, never taking her eyes off the metal bowl over the fire. She lifted the chopstick out and then poured the moonsnake plant milk into the bowl, mixing it.

“Is it almost done?”

“You’re very impatient for a man who’s not going anywhere at the moment.”

“You can still joke at a time like this?”

“Did you want me to cry?” The liquid was combined, and Steward Peng returned with two bamboo cups floating in a shallow bowl of water. One was slightly larger than the other, allowing it to close over the other one snugly.

Liyanne took some cloth and wrapped it around her hand before reaching for the metal bowl. It was hot from the candle fire and would burn a normal woman, but her skin wouldn’t so much as blister. Still, her husband and his steward saw her as a normal human, so she had to put on a bit of a show.

After pouring the melted wax and oil into the smaller of the cups, she put the metal bowl down. “Once this congeals, have Steward Peng put a thin layer over your cut.”

On the other side of the table, Steward Peng stood up straight. He seemed to look at his master, laying across the bed and then back at her.

“Miss Li Yan-”

“Call her Madam,” the Duke said, his voice slightly muffled as he turned his head away. “It’s best to get used to calling her that now.”

“Yes, of course,” Steward Peng said as the corners of his lips pulled up. “Madam, I should go and check on the guards. We will need to have their clothing washed as due to the paralyzing tea and the antidote, they seemed to have....”

Liyanne looked up from the bowl. “Wet themselves?” she asked, raising a brow. She nodded. “It’s expected, but they need to get the toxins out of their bodies immediately. The longer it stays, the more dangerous it becomes. Judging from the potency, if we did not start purging it from their bodies within one, one and a half sticks, they would have permanently paralyzed outer limbs.”

Steward Peng took in a sharp breath and his expression became serious. “I see. I will let them know, my lady.”

“Thank you for your assistance, Steward Peng. Your speed and efficiency have made it much easier for me to prepare the antidote and salve,” Liyanne told him with a nod.

The man’s face softened, and he gave her a small bow of his head. “Your words are unnecessary, Madam. I am here to serve you.”

He bowed once more to the Duke on the bed before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

“Is it ready yet?” the Duke asked as he turned his head back to look at her.

She blew across it. “Almost. It’s still a bit soft and warm. Give it a bit longer.” She looked over at him and rose from her seat. “Let’s prepare the area for application.”

The Duke closed his eyes and rested his head against the pillow as she washed her hands in a bucket of water and dried them off. She then carefully peeled off the strips of bandage they’d covered the wound in.

“How is it?” She heard him ask.

“Blood, but not as much as before. Keep your movements limited for a few days to let the salve and your body patch the wound,” she said. She reached for a clean towel and dipped it in the water before wiping around his cut. “I will check it twice a day. We only need to reapply the salve for three more days.”

“Then, thank you for your hard work.” She caught Shenwei cracking a slight smile as he spoke. “I seem to have stumbled upon a useful wife.”

“Yes, I’m glad you realize it.” She laughed and waved her hand across his wound, waiting for the damp streaks to evaporate before she stood up and went to check on the salve. When she poked at it, it was still warm, but she was satisfied with how solid it was. She picked up the smaller of the bamboo cups and wiped the bottom before going back to her seat at the edge of the bed. “It’s warm, but it shouldn’t burn or tingle. There may be a slight numbing around the edge of the wound, but it’s not harmful.”

He took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself, and nodded.

Liyanne dipped her finger into the cup and took out a bead the size of her thumb and carefully tapped it around the edges of his wound. When it was suitably surrounded, she ran her finger across to smooth it. She put the cup to the side of the bed and placed her hand on his back to hold him still as she rubbed the salve in small circles.

“I feel the pressure...it doesn’t burn or tingle, as you said,” she heard him say.

“Good. It’ll be absorbed well.” She looked across his back and drew in her lips. This was not the Duke’s first wound. There were several pale streaks of healed skin across his lean back. Her fingertips moved over one of them. “How serious were these wounds?”

He was quiet for a moment. “I’m alive, aren’t I?”

“Was there any damage that could affect your health or mobility in the future?” she asked. She counted at least five other large scars and traced her fingers, that had some salve, across them.

“I don’t believe so.” He paused and tilted his head back to glance at her. “Will your salve get rid of the scars?”

She looked down at his back. Her skin was not only resilient, but healed quickly. She didn’t have a single scar on her. Most Pleiadesians didn’t. They had medicated creams for them. Unfortunately, she didn’t have what she needed in this field location to make some.

“At best, I can lighten their appearance,” she said. She saw him smile a bit.

“That’s all right. I don’t mind the scars.”

“This new one shouldn’t scar, though,” Liyanne told him, her voice raising with encouragement. “I’ve applied the salve early enough.”

He let out a little chuckle. “That’s a shame. That’s the one I received protecting my wife.”

She flicked her eyes towards him. His eyes were closed, and it seemed the motions of her fingers on his back were relaxing him. His breathing was even, and he wasn’t as tense as when she started.

“You don’t need to protect me like this.” Though she had fallen when the second assailant pushed through the door, it was more that she lost her balance from the sudden force. However, no harm came to her body. She wondered if he noticed how easily she’d picked up that lacquered chair.

“You are my wife,” he said after a few moments. “This is what I should do.” His voice was quiet. The room was silent, and she continued to move her fingers across his back, gently pressing against his muscles and smoothening them. He didn’t protest and she wondered if he enjoyed it.

She looked back at the fresh cut and lifted her hands to reach for a fresh bandage to cover it.

“You’re done?” he asked, sounding a bit disappointed.

“I’ll bandage it, but you cannot sleep on your side or back tonight,” she said. “It may reopen and bleed again.”

“Not my preferred way of sleeping, but it can’t be helped.” He let out a heavy sigh as she layered on the bandage and then wrapped it under his arm and chest. “Thank you, Yanyan.”

“You are my husband,” she said with a small grin of her own. “This is what I should do.” He chuckled beneath her.

The door creaked open, and Steward Peng peeked in. “Ahem, Madam. Your room is ready.”

“Thank you, Steward Peng.” Liyanne tied the bandage and stood put, putting the cup of salve on the table before twisting the larger one on top of it. “I will leave him to you.”

“Yes, Madam.” Steward Peng bowed to her as she walked past him.

Liyanne paused as she reached the door. “Don’t forget that this is our story now.”

“What’s our story?” the Duke asked as he looked towards her from the bed.

She looked back at him once more and held back a smile. “I saved your life.”

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